Natural selection

:For the computer game, see Natural Selection (computer game).

History of the principle

Charles Darwin's discovery of the principle of natural selection, as his explanation for the origin of species, occurred in about 1838. Over the next twenty years, he shared it with only a very small number of acquaintances, while he amassed evidence in its favor. He first outlined his theory in two unpublished manuscripts, written in 1842 and 1844. In 1858, Alfred Russel Wallace independently discovered the principle, and wrote a letter to Darwin, explaining his hypothesis. This prompted a reading, at the Linnean Society, of tracts from both men describing the principle that year. Darwin published his detailed theory the following year, in The Origin of Species.

Related Topics:
Linnean Society - The Origin of Species

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Unbeknownst to both Darwin and Wallace, the principle of natural selection had been previously hypothesized by others. Pierre Louis Moreau de Maupertuis in 1745, Erasmus Darwin in 1794–1796, William Charles Wells in 1813, and Patrick Matthew in 1831 were amongst the first to grasp the idea. Maupertuis' discovery is in dispute, but has enough substantial evidence in its favor to warrant mention. Erasmus Darwin was a contemporary and colleague of Wells—not to mention the grandfather of Charles Darwin—and he expressed much of his theory of evolution in poetic verse. His formal exposition of the hypothesis lacks a structured formulation, but has enough merit to be considered a possibility. Wells' hypothesis, applied solely to explain the origin of human races, had been presented in person at the Royal Society. Matthew's hypothesis had appeared in an appendix to his book on arboriculture. Richard Owen also claimed precedence over Darwin. Edward Blyth had also proposed natural selection, as a mechanism of keeping species constant.

Related Topics:
Pierre Louis Moreau de Maupertuis - Erasmus Darwin - William Charles Wells - 1813 - Patrick Matthew - 1831 - Royal Society - Arboriculture - Richard Owen - Edward Blyth

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